Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his policy is on local authorities having control of new build schools on new sites; and if he will make a statement.

Local authorities have a duty to plan and secure sufficient schools for their area. Where a local authority identifies the need to establish a new school, Section 6A of Education and Inspections Act 2006 places the local authority under a duty to seek proposals to establish an academy (free school) and to specify a date by which proposals must be submitted to the local authority. This is known as the free school presumption and is the main route for local authorities to set up new schools. The Local authority must also provide the site for the school.